New insights into the pathogenesis and prognosis of aortic sclerosis.

Aortic valve disease includes a wide spectrum of conditions, from leaflets thickening to hemodynamically significant aortic stenosis and is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies performed during the last years bring consistent evidence that these lesions of the aortic valves share remarkable similarities with atherosclerotic lesions. They also reveal new risk factors for its development, which are superposed in fact with the major risk factors for atherosclerosis. Moreover, large prospective studies reported an increased risk for cardiovascular events and for total and cardiovascular mortality in patients with aortic sclerosis. Hence, recent papers also propose therapeutic targets, using statins for delaying the progression of the disease.